NFL Week 1 Betting Odds: Chiefs, Ravens Are Biggest Favorites

During the COVID-19 pandemic, everything seems a little bleak, but in swoops the NFL to lift our spirits first with the NFL draft and now, more recently, with the release of the 2020 schedule! The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will kick things off as 10.5-point favorites over the visiting Houston Texans but will KC have a Super Bowl hangover?

Additionally, Tom Brady vs Drew Brees! The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 4.5-point underdogs in Brady’s debut as they visit the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to collide with the New Orleans Saints.

Can’t wait to get in on the action? Be sure to check out our extensive list of the best NFL betting sites to get your Week 1 bet in.

NFL Week 1 Betting Lines

Be sure to check out our NFL odds page for the latest up-to-date betting odds for Week 1.

Week 1 Betting Analysis

First of all, if you are new to sports betting and are unsure of how to lay a wager on the NFL, don’t worry, we have a great betting tutorial to help you feel comfortable in making your first NFL bet!

Texans vs Chiefs

What better way to kick off the 2020 NFL season than a rematch from the wild divisional round match in the playoffs where the Chiefs came from behind to score a 51-31 triumph over the Texans. It appeared that Kansas City was in trouble when it trailed Houston 24-0 early in the second quarter, but the Chiefs outscored the Texans 51-7 for the remainder of the game.

The total for this game is 56.5 and I think the OVER is a great spot here. As for the spread, Kansas City -10.5 would be my play. Although you could argue that the Chiefs could be sluggish after their Super Bowl triumph, the Texans just didn’t have a great offseason especially after trading away their No. 1 wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins.

Buccaneers vs Saints

How this isn’t the Sunday nighter blows my mind, but I’m not in the business of making NFL schedules. After Jameis Winston became the first QB to throw for 30 or more touchdowns and interceptions in one season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed to make a change and why not go out and sign future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady. Shortly after bringing in TB12, the Bucs made another wave by trading for his trusted tight end, Rob Gronkowski, and quickly, Tampa Bay became a contender.

However, there will be no easing into the season as Brady and Gronk will be greeted to the NFC South in a clash with the reigning NFC South champion New Orleans Saints and future Hall of Fame QB in his own right Drew Brees. The bet I love for this matchup is the OVER 50 points. I think both teams will rise to the occasion and with two high-caliber quarterbacks duking it out in a talent-rich game, points could be plentiful.

Browns vs Ravens

It had been 10 years since a No. 1 seed fell to a No. 6 seed in the playoffs and that is exactly what happened to the Baltimore Ravens in last year’s playoffs. It took until early in the fourth quarter for Baltimore to score its one and only touchdown as it was shut down by Tennessee 28-12.

Meanwhile, one of the two regular-season losses for the Ravens last year came at home to the Cleveland Browns. Of course, Baltimore avenged that loss later in the season with a 31-15 beatdown at FirstEnergy Stadium. The +8.5-point line for the Browns is intriguing as, for me, there could be some questions surrounding the Ravens in the early stages of the season and Cleveland was everybody’s darling heading into last season. Could this be the year they take a step forward?

Chargers vs Bengals

It will be a new look under center for both the Los Angeles Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals. Since 2006, Philip Rivers had been the man slinging the rock for the Chargers, but the 38-year-old will be donning a Colts uniform in 2020 and it will be Tyrod Taylor at the helm this season for LA.

As for the Bengals, they may have struck gold by being horrific last season, parlaying that into 2019 Heisman Trophy winner and 2020 College Football National Champion QB Joe Burrow, who was selected first overall in the NFL draft. There are a ton of question marks for both teams heading into Week 1, so given the fact the home team is getting 3.5 points, I’m going to lean toward Burrow picking up his first NFL win.

Cowboys vs Rams

In the Sunday night game, the Dallas Cowboys look to rebound from a disappointing 8-8 season in which they failed to make the playoffs. Also coming off a massive dropoff season are the Los Angeles Rams, who had back-to-back seasons as NFC West champions and a Super Bowl appearance in 2018 but finished 9-7 in 2019, third in the NFC West.

I think these two teams trended in opposite directions during this year’s offseason as the Rams lost 2017 Pro Bowl kicker Greg Zuerlein and 2018 Pro Bowl linebacker Cory Littleton, while the Cowboys signed Zuerlein, six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and two-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Dontari Poe and had arguably one of the best drafts of any team. I think Dallas -2.5 is a steal here as the squad will look to get off on the right foot in a season filled with high expectations.

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